PGL Krakow Major Preview – The Legends

The PGL Krakow Major is scheduled to start on July 16th. Sixteen teams will compete for the prestige and money that comes with winning a major. In this two part series we will focus on the prominent teams participating in the Major. This second part of the series will focus on a few of the Legends teams.

Astralis

The Danish lineup won the Eleague Major in a very close finals match against Virtus Pro. The team has been working on developing themselves in various aspects of their character. They have employed the services of Mia Stellberg, a Sports psychologist. She has helped the Astralis team in overcoming their doubts and preparing for their matches and tournaments. We see such initiatives being taken by traditional sports teams all the time, but this is the first time that we have seen it in an esports team.

Astralis is a team which prides themselves on their map pool. The extensive and deep map pool for the Danish roster is well known. They have been traditionally better on their Counter Terrorist side. Consisting of several well known and skilled players such as Device, Dupreeh, the team has more than the necessary skill set required to win most of their matches. It is their desire to be better than the others that sets them apart. Astralis were one of the only top teams to voluntarily miss out on the prestigious ESL One Cologne 2017 in order to practice for the upcoming major.

Astralis are definitely one of the favorites for this tournament. They do have their weaknesses against heavy strategic teams such as SK Gaming. However the difference between a win and a loss is their performance on that particular day.

Chance to Playoffs: 95%

HLTV rank: #3

Roster:

Dupreeh

Device

Xyp9x

Kjaerbye

Glaive

SK Gaming

The Brazilians have an uncanny love for Major titles. A few years ago, no one expected the Brazilian rosters to be able to dominate the world the way SK Gaming(then LG) have. Fallen has been a leader not just for his team, but for the entire Brazilian community. His leadership has helped his teammates understand the game and play better. The performance of SK Gaming has not always been perfect. Yes, they have won several majors and are definitely amongst the top three teams for over a year.

However, SK gaming have had several lows in between their performances. It is their decision to swap out players during this time, which is testimony to their determination to win. Fer and Coldzera are always the deciding factor in matches involving SK Gaming. These two players have repeatedly surprised everyone by their individual performances. This is what summarizes SK Gaming: A team full of Amazing Individuals. SK Gaming have shown immense strategic gameplay, and yet individual plays form a very strong part of their style.

SK Gaming won the ESL One Cologne 2017. They were able to defeat teams such as Optic, Faze and Cloud9 during the tournament. The team is putting up excellent results and seems to be peaking at the right time for the Major. They currently Rank No. 1 team and look like a very strong contender to reach the semifinals.

Chance to Playoffs: 90%

HLTV rank: #1

Roster:

Coldzera

Taco

Fallen

Fer

Felps

Virtus Pro

Taz and NEO form the backbone of this team. They have orchestrated the formation, the longevity and the stable contracts for the team. However, the Virtus Pro team has fallen off grace. After a stunning and much loved finals appearance at the previous major, Virtus Pro have slipped down the rankings.

They have been relegated to ESL Pro League; almost on the verge of being relegated in ECS as well. They have had three group stage exits in big ticket events and have hardly won any worthwhile tournament. Virtus Pro have come out of slumps in the past, and they should come out of this one as well. However it is indeed difficult times for them.
In terms of maps, Virtus Pro do not like Overpass and keep Cache at an arm’s length. They are very good on maps such as Nuke, Mirage, Train and Cobblestone. These form their strongest maps with Inferno being hot and cold for them. The Virtus Pro team does not take long from switching to Plough mode, and that is a team that is best avoided by many.

Virtus Pro should not be able to win this major, but given the right circumstances, they can make a deep run at the Major. It depends on their team and gameplay and if they can manage to make a comeback.

Chance to Playoffs: 70%

HLTV rank: #14

Roster:

Pasha

NEO

Taz

Byali

Snax

Faze Clan

Faze Clan is undoubtedly one of the top teams in the CSGO rankings right now. They have secured repeated top four finishes in five tournaments. The team has been bolstered by the inclusion of Niko. Niko is a very talented player, probably the best in the world. His skill in addition to the leadership of Karrigan sets the team apart as one of the most dangerous teams.

The other members of the team are all superstar players. Allu needs no introduction for his AWP, neither do the others in Kioshima and rain. The team has had some amazing results over the past few months climbing up to the second rank on HLTV.

Their toughest rivals are SK and Astralis, however Faze is also a team which can pose the most danger to the big two. Faze are better off in the best of three format with multiple victories on these types. However, the Swiss format might just be the biggest drawback for the team.

Faze Clan’s performance should easily get them to the playoffs. Their performance at the playoffs depends heavily on the match-up and the maps chosen.

Chance to Playoffs: 80%

HLTV rank: #2

Roster:

Karrigan

Niko

Allu

Kioshima

Rain

The PGL Krakow Major will be a $1,000,000 prize pool Swiss format tournament. It will start on the 16th and continue till the 23rd of July 2017. If you’re looking to bet on this tournament or specific matches be sure to choose one of the best CSGO betting sites to do so. These sites are where you’ll get the most for your money.